Fretting Damage of ACSR Conductor Enwrapped with Aluminium Armour Tape

Fretting experiment of the aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) conductor enwrapped with aluminium armour tape was carried out using a conductor fretting testing equipment made by the authors. After fretting for 2.0×107 cycles at an amplitude of 1.0 mm, fretting damage of the external and internal Al strands and steel core strands of the conductor was investigated, and the tensile strengths of them were also measured. Moreover, the fretting damage mechanism of the enwrapped conductor was discussed. The results showed that the external Al strands were injured by the scratch of the aluminium armour tape and the abrasive wear. The wear marks of the internal Al strands were all elliptical, partially, there were fatigue cracks under them. The steel core strands were slightly damaged, only adhesion wear and piece deprivation of the galvanized zinc layer took place. The aluminium armour tape could effectively protect the ACSR conductor, so that the internal and external Al strands of the enwrapped conductor had higher tensile strengths than those of the unenwrapped conductor.